Chapter 292

“GAO WEIGUANG—!” Gustav von Seyffer, the Sword Emperor, shouted at Gao Weiguang, the Ten Heavenly Swords. “What is that Chaos Mana?! Explain yourself!”

Weiguang remained silent as he signaled the others to stay put and asked Gustav, “Why did you follow me?”

“Because you were acting suspiciously!” Gustav shouted as he unsheathed his zweihander and assumed the ox guard, with the sword at head level and the end of the blade pointing at the enemy.

“Acting suspiciously?”

“You didn’t fight with all your heart during the battle at Lunatic!”

Gustav’s blue eyes blazed ferociously. In that battle, he had caught the Green Rash after being in contact with Abyete’s skill, but he did not stop monitoring the battlefield even as he was writhing in pain that transcended his imagination. He had seen Gao Weiguang doing nothing as the bronze goblin statue was about to kill Nino Manfredi inside Antaeus.

“Back then, you let go of your sword! A swordsman only lets go of his sword under two situations!” Gustav charged at Weiguang and shouted, “When he’s dead, and when the battle is over! Your battle had stopped in that moment!”

“You leave me... no choice,” Weiguang mumbled as his eyes sank, and pointed his index finger at Gustav.

[Activating Unique Skill: Sword Control.]

The six swords that were already unsheathed flew at Gustav from behind him. Gustav grunted and spun like a top to deflect the swords—the Umbshnappen. He used the momentum to bring the sword over his head and swung down vertically—the Scheitelhau.

“It’s pointless!” Weiguang shouted as three of the swords at his waist flew out, and he grabbed the remaining one himself.

The three swords pointed at Gustav as if they were alive, and the six deflected swords returned to Weiguang’s side. Gustav switched to defensive movements like the Ablauffen, Verstullen, Fehlen, and the Zirckel to block the nine swords.

It feels like I’m fighting against nine swordsmen! he thought.

However, his eyes did not leave Weiguang even as he defended against the flurries of attacks from the nine swords.

“Magnificent. I would expect nothing less from the Sword Emperor. I heard you were unmatched in pure swordsmanship, and I can see that it is true,” Weiguang remarked, impressed by Gustav’s swordsmanship that perfectly blocked his nine swords. “However... if you think this is a sword fight, you are sorely mistaken.”

Mana wrapped the sword Weiguang was holding, and so did an unsettling grey aura.

“Bastard! Since when have you been a Chaos Human?!” Gustav shouted.

“Ever since I despaired at the fact that I was born in the mold of a human.” Weiguang charged at Gustav this time and shouted, “I did not want to live as a weak race that did not even have a secondary force! I am Gao Weiguang, the Ten Heavenly Swords, the man who will stand at the top one day!”

[Activating Unique Skill: Sword Qi Surge.]

The Chaos Mana wrapping Weiguang’s sword was refined, becoming a perfect condensed sword qi.

“Break!” Weiguang shouted as he swung his sword.

The condensed sword qi shattered like glass and pounced on Gustav like a tidal wave. Gustav grunted as he defended against the shards of condensed sword qi by creating a screen via the Sperren, but he was overpowered. He was blown backward and tumbled across the ground, but quickly sank his sword into the ground to slow himself down.

After barely managing to stop, he panted heavily and looked straight ahead. Weiguang was looking right at him, the moonlight creating a gloomy shadow under him.

“Did you create a sword screen only with your martial arts, without relying on skills? Your talent surprises me.” Weiguang pointed the end of his sword at Gustav and said, “Gustav, I invite you to join the League of Trailblazers.”

“What are you... talking about?”

“Join us. You must have despaired over the fact that you were born human,” Weiguang said as he outstretched his arms.

His nine other swords, floating in midair, also surged with grey condensed sword qi and shone brightly. The ten swords surrounded Gustav as if they were the masters of the sky.

“Become a Chaos Human, and you will be able to use Chaos Mana, the strongest and most despicable secondary force!”

Gustav remained silent.

“You, with a mediocre D Weapon, no unique skills, and zero talent with mana, have made it to the level of High Ranker with swordsmanship alone! Can you imagine the possibilities if you gain the ability to use Chaos Mana?” Weiguang smiled charmingly and continued, “At the very least, you won’t ever be tumbling on the ground, writhing in pain, like the way you did against Abyete.”

He extended his free left hand toward Gustav and said, “Join us.”

Gustav remained silent. He was the Sword Emperor of Germany, the leader of Clan Martial, and the man who had proved that one could still climb high without D Weapons, skills, items, or talent in using mana.

However, none of these were compliments to him—only sources of his despair. He had polished his swordsmanship because there was nothing else he could do. Others could easily send their mana down specific mana patterns to activate defensive skills, but he had learned martial arts because he couldn’t do such things.

He recalled what Abyete had said to him behind the green barrier that he couldn’t break, no matter what sword technique he used.

“Kerek. A commendable attempt for a half-wit,”

“I am... a half-wit,” Gustav agreed. He stood up with his zweihander and assumed the Vom Tag. “That’s why I won’t choose the easy path. I don’t have the knack for it.”

“What is that... supposed to mean?” Weiguang asked.

“Ahaha! The likes of such things can’t plunge me into despair! I am a half-wit who only knows swordsmanship!” Gustav took a step forward and shouted, “Come at me! I have yet to let go of my sword!”

The way of the sword was meaningful because it was filled with hardships. Once he reached the end of this path, he would become a hawk that could soar through the skies.

“What a shame,” Weiguang remarked as he let go of the sword in his right hand and gestured with it.

The swords filled with condensed sword qi fell like meteors. Gustav already had difficulty defending against one, but there were now ten of them. However, instead of despairing, he began looking for a way.

I’ll defend by making a barrier with the Schrankhut and linking it with the Eisenport. He doesn’t have a sword right now! I’ll use the art of Schlaudern to throw my sword and—

However, Gustav’s plan was for naught because soldiers made of red mana had appeared and shot down Weiguang’s swords with their Type 99 rifles.

“Gurghhh!” Gustav groaned, feeling a searing pain in his flank, and he lost consciousness.

“What is the meaning of this? I went out of my way to set the meeting in a place where no one could bother us, and you cause a commotion?” a robed man said.

“You’re...” Weiguang trailed off.

The robed man who had knocked out Gustav removed his robe, revealing an old man with white hair in a green military outfit. The Red Name Tag on his chest was engraved with the letters Lee Bong-Seong in gold.

“It’s been a while, you motherfuckers,” Bong-Seong said, his eyes turning black.

***

“Gahahaha! Lee Bong-Seong! You really came!” shouted the robed man on Taowu as he controlled his grotesque beast to approach Bong-Seong.

“Zhao Benshan... Where are the other Perils?” Bong-Seong asked.

“Hehe, why do you ask? Am I, Taowu of the Wild, not enough for you?” asked Benshan, a first-generation human and a member of the Four Perils, a clan that had long since been forgotten.

“I ask because I am trying to kill you all. I would imagine either you, Hundun, Qiongqi, or Taotie was the one who instigated Kim Seo-Gyeong of Clan Earthly Branches to cause that conflict with Fox Village!”

Benshan laughed boisterously. “Gahahaha! Sorry about that. It was all me and Qiongqi. We had only fed a small piece of information to that newbie named Kim Seo-Gyeong, and he immediately took the bait!”

He recalled his conversation with Seo-Gyeong, whose eyes had been filled with desire.

“What? You want to know how to strengthen a mythical or divine beast? Kekekek! You’re curious for a damn rat,”

He had laughed mockingly at Seo-Gyeong, but his friend Qiongqi had whispered to Seo-Gyeong, having thought of a good idea.

“I’ll tell you. Divine beasts are no different from artifacts. They are unique because they hold a unique history and soul. Divine beasts have unique mythologies and legends.”

He still remembered Seo-Gyeong’s ecstatic expression.

“I knew it was you bastards. I can’t believe you would plant a spy in the spec force! I nearly broke my back trying to clean up that mess!” Bong-Seong shouted.

“Gehehe, consider it a little tease. You wouldn’t give us any attention, so we had to get it somehow.”

“Were you also the one who mobilized Henri Konan of Cocoa Farm?”

“Oh, that was me,” a different robed individual answered.

“Emil Mielke,” Bong-Seong mumbled as he stared at the robed individual.

Emil Mielke was also a first-generation human and the leader of Clan Spy, dealing in information gathering.

“That bastard Cheon Seong-Hwi was an eyesore. I should have made sure he was dead then and there, whatever it took,” Emil said.

“Gahaha! You’ve lost your touch, Emil,” Benshan mocked.

“I don’t want to hear that from you, who lives off only on spinal reflexes.”

Bong-Seong looked around as he listened to Emil’s and Benshan’s bickering. There were over a thousand Chaos Humans. Some were first-generation humans, while others seemed to be newbies who had just joined.

“Is this all of them?” Boing-Seong asked.

“Hehe, of course not.”

“The other Perils aside, there are also a few I don’t see.”

“Oh, they’re—”

“Quiet, Zhao Benshan,” interrupted a robed individual holding a wine cabinet, decorated with a grapevine design.

“You’re... Havela,” Bong-Seong remarked.

“I understand your joy from reuniting with an old comrade, but we need to make sure he is good,” said the man named Havela as he stared into Bong-Seong’s eyes and asked, “Have you... truly returned?”

“Why would I be here otherwise?”

“Cut the roundabout answer and give it to me straight!” Havela shouted as he opened his wine cabinet, Dybbuk Box.

[Activating Unique Skill: Dybbuk’s Question.]

Dybbuk, a bloody ghost, flew out of the Dybbuk Box.

He’s annoying to deal with, Bong-Seong thought.

Havela’s D Weapon possessed a lie detection skill that was on par with those of the Union’s black-white judges.

But there’s only one of him!

He rubbed his left hand and said, “Yes, I’m back. My Parent, the Bachtasha, Master Ajingya, has commanded me to overthrow the Union.”

An overwhelming amount of Chaos Mana surged from him.

“Ahaha! You’re telling the truth! Lee Bong-Seong has returned! The one-man-army is back!” Havela shouted as his robe fluttered.

The robed individuals around him cheered.

“Yahoo! Is the Immortal Marine seriously on our side?!”

“This is insane! This organization is absolutely insane!”

“It’s the best! Now, we can make more people like us to our heart’s content!”

The Chaos Humans expressed ecstasy and elation as they unleashed their Chaos Mana without restraint, their pure black eyes shining. Just then, a woman’s thunderous voice echoed across the night sky.

“WAIT—!”

The Chaos Humans turned to the source of the voice. One of the robed individuals removed their robe, revealing an Asian woman wearing a colorful striped hanbok[1].

“That woman is...”

“Hong Lian!”

“Oh! The one who recently joined us from Exorcist’s Travelogue!”

“Look at this!” Hong Lian shouted as she pulled the chain she was holding, dragging a small, robed woman.

The robe came off from being dragged, revealing a slender, old black woman who groaned in pain as she clenched the metal neck collar connected to the end of the chain.

“Waaaaahhh!” the old woman cried.

“Shut up and hand that over!” Hong Lian shouted as she stomped on the old woman repeatedly.

“Hurgh, I-I-I’m sorry...” the old woman said, begging for forgiveness as she brought a wooden board forward with her trembling hands.

It was the Evil Spirit’s Ouija Board. Hence, the old woman was the Black Saintess, Negrita. A wooden arrow pointed at the word No.

“He’s lying, right?!” Hong Lian asked.

“Sniffle! Hurgh.”

“Stop crying and answer me!” Hong Lian shouted as she pulled hard on the chain.

Negrita asked with a trembling voice, “O-Ouija... Is he lying?”

The wooden arrow slowly moved toward the word Yes.

“What in the world is that?”

“That’s the Black Saintess. That’s a prophecy, more accurate than lie detection!”

“Can we trust it? I’ve heard her prophecies have been off the mark lately.”

The wooden arrow on the Ouija board moved, paying no mind to what the people were saying, and pointed at letters of the alphabet one by one.

L—O—O—K

“Look...”

A—T—T—H—E—H—A—N—D

“At the hand?”

O—F—A—L—I—A—R

“Of a liar!”

The gazes of the Chaos Humans simultaneously shifted to Bong-Seong’s hands. Among them, the eyes of those with detection skills shone, noticing something transparent on Bong-Seong’s left hand.

“Is that...”

“An inverted cross?”

[Canceling Truth Reversal.]

“That’s a shame... Well, it doesn’t matter. You’re all surrounded now,” Bong-Seong mumbled.

“Bastard! Lee Bong-Seong!” Benshan shouted.

“What is the meaning of this?!”’ Havela asked.

Bong-Seong smiled chillingly and answered, “What do you think? It means it’s time for a spring cleaning.”

His Red Name Tag flashed, and 299 young Marines were generated, each with Type 99 rifles in hand.

[Activating Unique Skill: Ghost Killers.]

The soldiers made of red mana aimed their rifles at the Chaos Humans.

“Dammit! He betrayed us!”

“Don’t get scared! He’s all by himself—”

Just then, shouts echoed throughout Tallinn.

“Yeeeaaahhh!”

“Kill the traitors!”

“Exterminate them!”

Countless footsteps echoed, growing closer.

“D-dammit!”

“It’s an ambush!”

“LEE BONG-SEONG—!”

The Chaos Humans, realizing they had been played, assumed battle positions.

Bong-Seong aimed his red Type 99 rifle at Benshan and shouted, “From this moment, I shall rid myself of my embarrassing past!”

1. Hanbok (한복) is a traditional Korean clothing. ☜